Being able to identify animal tracks can help you keep yourself safe when walking in nature. The first thing you want to be able to determine is whether or not the print is feline or canine. Feline prints are easy to distinguish because unlike canine prints, they do not have claws; cats keep their claws retracted while they walk. You also can determine a feline print because the pad is shaped like the letter 'M;' the pad has two lobes on the top and three on the bottom.
Cougar Tracks
Cougar footprints are easily distinguished from bobcat prints because they are large, measuring up to 4 inches wide and 3 1/3 inches long.
Bobcat Footprints
Bobcat prints are about double the size of the domestic cat, but about half the size of a cougar's footprint. The bobcat print measures about 1 3/8 inches wide by 1 1/2 inches long.
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